Time and Great Ruin
by music-is-luv
Summary: Many years have passed since that fateful day when Jane Porter washed up in Tarzan's world. Forsaking her past, she chose to live in the wilds with her King of the Jungle. Now their eldest son struggles to find his own path. But mysterious things are happening on Jungle Island, and a strange new beast falls from the sky to disturb the peace of their paradise. TarzanxJane, KorakxOC
1. A Father and Son

**Time and Great Ruin**

This story will combine elements from the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs as well as from the Disney version, where I first fell in love with the story (and Tarzan, mmmm). The apes are mangani, fictional apes created for the purpose of the story. This story will be TarzanxJane KorakxOC

I'd love feedback, even if you hate it. And if you want me to continue, please review!

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**Chapter 1: A Father and Son**

Deep in a dense, unforgiving jungle, a woman hums quietly to herself while kneeling on the thick branch of an inescapably tall tree. She picks a few fruits from its leaves. Though far from being the young woman she was in her first days on the savage island, she still retains the beauty of her youth- her long, slender body, tanned skin, and big blue eyes, only mildly lined with wrinkles. She has a scar across her left arm. Her chestnut hair is a tangled mess, half knotted into locks with loose strands falling this way and that.

Growing weary of her task, she puts the materials in a basket to the side of her and stands tall on the branch looking at the view around her. Hundreds of feet in the air, she sees the mist rising from the mountains and the great waterfall that holds so many memories for all of them. She smiles peacefully when she sees a group of young apes gathering to play at the base of the waterfall. Though this can be dangerous, she does not fear for them. They are not a weak animal, and are even stronger in a group. Her smile fades when she realizes there is one thing that she cannot see.

Her eldest son, Korak.

She is spared her worry when she sees him swing from beneath the shelter of the tall trees and land with a splash into the river. Shaking her head with a demure smile, she turns, grabs her basket, and begins walking back toward the nest where the other apes will be waiting and perhaps Tarzan, her husband and leader of the tribe, will have returned from scouting the area. She turns back abruptly when she hears her son shout and sees the mighty Tarzan and his son, the ferocious Korak wrestling in the shallow water, splashing water and mud at the other mangani, who screech with mirth, cheering for their leader. She smirks when she hears her son bite out a scathing remark to his friends. Jane continues on to the nest to wait there for her mighty husband, Tarzan King of the Jungle, and her son, Korak the Killer.

* * *

"Thank you for your loyalty, friends," Korak grits out through clenched teeth, "I'll be sure to return the favor." His father laughs aloud at this, sitting atop his son's back, and grinds Korak's handsome face further into the dirt.

"There is no honor in being a sore loser," Tarzan winks at the apes. "Besides, didn't I teach you how to get out of this one?" His son growls and violently twists his body, pushing at his father's arms and legs, and in a flurry of movement the audience cannot follow he has his father in a choke-hold.

"You underestimate me, father," Korak smirks devilishly, his raven locks falling to cover his eyes, and tightens his grip around his father's neck. His father struggles for breath. This, the apes feel, is when Korak most looks like his title, the Killer.

Korak takes after his father in many ways. His skin, darkened by the sun and unrelenting heat of the jungle, has been burned a dark tan. He climbs higher, and swings faster, and fights more ferociously than any animal, having taken to the jungle like a fish to water, much like his father. The King's handsome features were passed on to him, in his long straight nose and strong, chiseled jaw. He is tall, just as tall and nearly taller than the King, and living in this harsh environment has afforded him a musculature that even a god would envy. His body is packed with the muscle necessary to survive while still being lean, assuring that he is as quick as he is powerful. He is every bit of his father's son, were it not for the raven hair that shocked his parents, though it seemed to make the mangani much more amicable towards him, or for the piercing gray eyes that many speculated were the eyes of a demon. Though he did not know this, these features were inherited from his grandfather, the true Lord Greystroke. Before Korak is allowed to gloat, his father flips the boy over his head and sends him splashing into the river.

"Perhaps I have, son," Tarzan adopts Korak's trademark smirk as he emerges from the water with a lily pad atop his head, which causes the onlookers to snicker. "But don't forget who taught you what you know," he winks at his scowling son. He turns to the young primates. "It will be getting dark soon," he addresses them. "You should start heading home." At this, he glares pointedly at Korak. "All of you." Korak snorts while the others mumble and begin walking towards the nest.

"Good show, father," Korak growls. "Did you have fun humiliating me in front of the others?" Korak stands and begins to follow his primate friends. Tarzan frowns and grabs a vine, quickly swinging to the front of his son and landing with a soft thump.

"Son," he begins.

"Save it!" Korak growls before leaping into the trees and disappearing into the jungle. Tarzan sighs, his frown deepening. He watches his troublesome son until he can no longer see him before leaping into a tree and disappearing himself.

* * *

When Tarzan returns to the nest, his wife can see that he is troubled and when she turns to see the very same expression and tightened posture on her son, she knows. Tarzan's deep jade eyes search for hers immediately, and when he sees that all is well he smiles and begins to make his way over, only to be distracted by one of the tribe's complaining. He glances at her helplessly as the mother mangani rambles on.

Jane is wrestling with her youngest and, she guiltily hopes, final child, a little girl of four years that looks almost exactly like the late Lady Greystroke, Tarzan's human mother, with thick, curly auburn hair and fair skin. The only difference being the child's bright blue eyes, inherited from her. Named for her late grandmother, Kala giggles when Jane attempts to clean her of the mess she'd made of her dinner.

"Archie!" Jane calls out and yelps as her second son seems to fall right from the sky into her view.

"Yes, mother?" he responds kindly, beaming at her with wide, innocent blue eyes, betrayed by the hands behind his back. Jane raises a suspicious brow at him.

"Whatever it is, drop it," she deadpans. He only smiles wider.

"But mother," he drawls, "would you really have me drop_ this_?" He pulls from behind his back what must be the most ripe and delicious looking mango Jane had ever seen. This confused her because mangoes were not, as far as she knew, native to this island.

"Where did you get that?" She asks, her tone belying her curiosity. He shrugs.

"Would you like some?" He grins, his fine, golden curls dusting across his eyes in such a way that Jane can only smile and shake her head at her son. Having taken after his mother, Archimedes is slighter than her other boys, though similar in build, and does not tan as they do. He is a curious one, and is clearly gifted in matters of intelligence, as shown when his late grandfather, for whom he is named, began teaching him math and sciences that Archie picked up almost unnaturally quickly. Though she hardly finds this surprising, as Tarzan's is a mind to be reckoned with and she herself could be counted among the scholars. Archimedes seems especially fond of chemical sciences, and could be found on any given day creating various concoctions for purposes she dared not ask. Not after the last time. Jane sighed.

"Never mind that. Would you be a dear and watch after Kala for me?" Archie gently takes the toddler from his mother's hands and she stands. "I need to have a talk with your father."

"Uh oh! Daddy is in trouble!" Kala giggles from Archie's lap. He grins, eying his brother from across the canopy.

"And he's not the only one, am I right?"

"No. He isn't," Jane responds gruffly, thinking of her two most troublesome boys. She is not at all surprised by Archimedes' intuitiveness. Archie chuckles and makes shooing motions with his hands.

"Alright, mother. I've got the squirt," he laughs when his little sister pouts indignantly.

"No," she whines and grabs at his hair. "I've got you!" Archie falls over dramatically.

"Oh no! She's sunken her claws into me! Help! Someone!" He wails. Jane laughs at her son's antics before turning and grabbing onto a vine.

She leaves her children in the center of the nests, protected by those bigger and stronger than they on the outer edge of the nests. Swinging across the area, she lands onto another tall tree. Tarzan has just assuaged the tribemate's complaints and when he sees her coming, he quickly leaps across the trees to where she stands. She squeaks when his hands grab at her hind quarters indecently and he picks her up, kissing her long and deep, his tongue tangling with hers with a passion she had not expected given the current situation. Once thoroughly ravished, Jane is released and Tarzan laughs at the catcalls of the tribe.

"Jane," his voice is a low and Jane shivers, blushing. All these years and Tarzan still makes her blood rush.

"Ah, yes, well, it's quite good to see you too, Tarzan," she stutters, tucking a fly away lock behind her ear. Tarzan grins and grabs her again, pulling her against his chest. He buries his face in her neck and inhales deeply.

"I have missed you, Jane," he admits, trailing his firm lips across her sensitive neck. Shivering once more, Jane can scarcely speak.

"Ahem," she attempts to clear her throat, but when she speaks, her voice is hardly more than a whisper. "It's only been a few hours, love."

"That is much too long," he lifts his head and kisses her, once more grabbing at her rump. When they break apart, his eyes are dark. "I will have you tonight," he growls and Jane gasps, her eyes going wide and her cheeks furiously darkening, a sudden pang of heat striking her.

"Please stop before you make me sick and dead," Korak is suddenly spitting out, stomping by them. The mood effectively broken, Jane struggles to detach herself from Tarzan to no avail. Back in England, Jane would have never dared to even think about such things in front of any child, least of all her own, but here in the jungle privacy is a scarce resource.

"Korak!" Jane gasps. "I- we didn't- I mean, I should have-"

"Korak, stop," Tarzan interrupts, allowing Jane to disentangle them and stand at his side. For a moment it appears as though Korak will defy the King, but he stops. He doesn't turn around. Tarzan growls low in his throat, and the tribe looks on with open interest, keen on seeing how their King will take to such an open show of disrespect. "You will not upset your mother this way. Face me."

For a long moment, no one moves. Tensions in the air rise and the whole of the tribe is quiet. Korak looks at his brother and sister and sees the fear in their eyes. He huffs and quickly turns to face his parents, though he will not make eye contact with either of them. He crosses his arms defiantly.

"Apologize," Tarzan demands. Shaking her head, Jane leaps to her son's defense.

"Tarzan, please. There really is no need-"

"Jane," Tarzan interrupts softly but keeps his eyes on Korak. Jane quiets, lowering her eyes and steps back from the pair. This is not just a petty disagreement anymore. Tarzan cannot allow Korak to openly defy him in front of the tribe. If his authority is challenged, he will have to fight to preserve it. She is not to have any part of it. Staring helplessly at her son, she silently begs him to do what Tarzan says.

"Apologize," Tarzan repeats. There is an unspoken understanding that he will not do so again. Finally, after many agonizing moments, Korak lowers his arms and turns to Jane.

"I am sorry, mother," he says and Jane can see that he is sincere. "I didn't mean to upset you." She exhales shakily and smiles at him.

"I know, my darling. That's quite alright," she assures him. She quickly rushes to embrace him and just like that, the tension is gone. Almost instantaneously the chatter of the tribe resumes. Over her shoulder, Korak still glares defiantly at Tarzan, who stares back, not a single emotion on his handsome face. Soon after, it is time for the tribe to say goodnight and rest up for the following day. Jane has settled all three of her children in the nest they all share. Tarzan, she knows, will be high up in the trees, looking after the tribe and making sure that no predators will reach them.

Tarzan never planned to be the tribe's leader for this long. He is human and cannot sire any children from the tribe. He expected that another male would come that would take his place, and he would simply convince the male to spare the children already born in return for his unchallenged acceptance as tribe leader. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no prospects, as the last mangani to take care for the tribe was later killed by a poisonous snake hiding in his nest. The best he could do is wait for one of the tribe's young to come of age, and be strong enough to protect them. So Tarzan sits above his sleeping family and watches, spear at his side.

Silhouetted by the luminous moon and sky, Tarzan is truly a sight to behold and Jane once again muses that she must be luckiest woman in the world. She quickly climbs to reach him, though with much less grace than he or even her children. When she reaches him, his back is to her and his shoulders are slumped lower than his normal crouch. She knows that the incident today has effected him more than he would have the others to believe. She comes to sit beside him. He makes no movement, although Jane knows he was aware of her coming before she'd reached him. They sit silently and Jane stares at the moon.

"I don't know what to do," Tarzan finally speaks the first words of the night. Jane quietly questions, though she already knows the answer:

"What is it, Tarzan?"

"It's Korak," Tarzan frowns. "I think," he sighs, "I think he must hate me." Jane gasps.

"No!" She shouts. Tarzan quickly faces her, surprised by her sudden exuberance, while Jane checks to make sure she has not awoken any of the tribe. "No," she begins again quietly, "he could never hate you, love."

"Then why-"

"Tarzan," Jane sighs. "He's... Korak is... It's a troubling time in his life." She searches for the right words. "He's just turned twenty-one. He's getting older, questioning things. Questioning himself. He is fully grown now. In these times, all children become difficult to deal with. I'm sure your mother would say the same for you, perhaps even more so," she finishes with a playful smirk. At the mention of the late Kala, Tarzan smiles softly before sighing. He looks at Jane a moment, and grabs her hand, pulling her between his legs, her back to him. He wraps his arms around her and Jane makes herself comfortable in his embrace, though she could never be anything but.

"I only wish that he would let me help him, instead of..." he trails off and Jane finishes for him.

"Pushing you away?" He sighs and nods. "Oh, Tarzan," Jane twists to lean up and kiss him, hoping to comfort him with touch when the words escape her. "It's a phase," she continues when they are separated. "It will pass." Tarzan looks to where his three beloved children sleep in the nest his wife made for them all. His eyes fall to his eldest, and memories of when the boy was young come unbidden to him. Memories of holding him for the first time, feeding him, teaching him to hunt and fight, to navigate the jungle, playing and laughing... Somehow, thinking of these happy memories make his current pain deepen.

Jane is kissing him. Soft lips firmly move against his and her hands rest on his sides. It feels wonderful to kiss Jane. It always has. When she gently pulls away, his eyes open, though he could not remember them closing, and his beautiful wife and mate smiles at him with those dazzling azure eyes. He suddenly grins, and Jane's lips quirk with mirth. He picks her up with ease and moves her around to straddle his lap. Her loose hide skirt and his loincloth do little to separate them and Jane gasps as Tarzan slides against her.

"Jane," he kisses the skin between her neck and shoulder. Jane moans quietly when his hand crawls into her hide top. "I made a promise earlier, didn't I?" He smirks at her flushed face and dazed eyes.

"Well, yes," she breathes, stomach twitching at Tarzan's caresses. "I suppose so." The pair touch and tease each other, laughing and loving, entwined bodies bathed under the light of the moon and stars. Tarzan forgets his troubles and the two know only happiness.

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	2. Hunted

So, just so that everyone is aware, this story will mostly be about Korak, though it doesn't seem that way just yet. Also, I think I should give everyone a fair warning that this story is most probably not going to be what you're expecting, so... there's that.

Ah, fanfiction. Why have logic, when you can have fantasy?

* * *

**Chapter 2: Hunted**

Tarzan is gone when Jane arises. The tribe has recently changed their nesting spot, and so he will patrol the area more often, for a time. She doesn't mind this, and knows that once he is familiar enough with the area (in a manner of speaking, as he knows this jungle through and through already) he will be able to spend more time with the tribe, and his family.

Her boys are gone too. Korak is a man, and able to leave as he pleases. Archie, though young, is old enough to explore the jungle during the day. She feels a little uneasy about this. She always has. Even to this day she worries for Korak, fully capable of caring for himself, roaming the wilds with naught but his blade and wit. Archimedes is a very bright boy, but so very young at the age of twelve. She fears for him.

But they are Tarzan's sons, and he taught them well, so she tries not to worry as she teaches Kala which plants and bugs she can eat and which she cannot. Kala listens intently but is distracted by a beautiful butterfly, and Jane cuts short the lesson for now, giggling as Kala chases it, quickly lumbering after it as the mangani do.

Kala is her little princess. Beautiful, charming, and so full of wonder and delight that none would dare frown in the face of her innocence. With a smile, she returns to the moment when Kala said her first words.

* * *

It had been little more than half a year after the birth of the Jungle Princess. Professor Archimedes was teaching a young Archie about chemical reactions, and his grandson giggled over a joke at the expense of the periodic table of elements. Fortunately for Jane and her father, the Captain that had brought them to this brave new world had offered them a great gift: He would bring the Porters any item they requested, including educational necessities, one time only. They accepted, graciously. Korak was wrestling in the center of the nests with the other mangani adolescents. He and Terkoz, Terk's son, seemed to possess a never ending amount of energy. Tarzan and Jane sit in their nest, a squealing, squirming Kala bringing smiles to both of their faces.

"She certainly is a rowdy one!" Jane commented when Kala tried to crawl from her arms. She sat in Tarzan's lap and Kala in hers. Tarzan laughed and picked up the child, holding her to his eye level.

"You are very courageous, my precious Kala," he cooed. She giggled and grabbed one of his locks, yanking. Tarzan grimaced, but laughed again. "And strong enough to rule the jungle!" He handed her back to Jane. Kala giggled and clenched one of Jane's loose, silky fine strands of hair in her tiny fist.

"Mo'da!' She cried happily. Jane gasped in shock.

"She said mother! Her first word! Oh, Tarzan, this is wonderful!" Her smile lit up her face and Tarzan felt his heart swell at his wife's excitement over his only daughter's first words. Kala, it seemed, noticed their excitement.

"Mo'da!" She cried again. Jane giggled, grinning ear to ear, and lavished kisses on her baby girl. Tarzan held out his hand and Kala grabbed his finger. He smiled at this.

"We're very proud of you, Kala," he complimented her. Jane looked at him, face blank for a moment.

"Tarzan!" Jane exclaimed. "Let's teach her to say 'father'!" She suggested happily. Tarzan's face split into a grin.

"I'd like that," he admitted. His grin suddenly dimmed into a slight frown.

"What's wrong, Tarzan?" Jane frowned. The King looked away, scowling, and to Jane's amusement, a flush of red dashed across his cheek. She chuckled and gently raked her free hand across his shoulder. "What is it, love?" He turned his eyes to hers, and Jane held in a breath at the deepness of them.

"Not father," he said directly. "I would like for her to call me as you call your father," he said directly. Jane was surprised, and a slow smile crept up her face. She cupped his cheek.

"Well, I think that's a marvelous idea," she murmured and he leaned into her hand.

"Mo'da!" Kala cried, yanking on Jane's hair. The pair chuckled.

"Oh my," Jane giggled. "It seems Kala doesn't like our attention straying!" Jane sat the child upright in her lap. Kala quieted, curious at the sudden change. "Kala," Jane cooed, "can you say 'Daddy?" The child made not a peep. "Daddy," Jane repeated, gesturing to her husband. Kala murmured but did not speak. Jane pointed to herself. "Mother."

"Mo'da," Kala giggled happily. Her parents chuckled.

"Yes, you are very smart, my precious daughter," Tarzan chimed in over Jane's shoulder. "You may call me 'Daddy'," he told her, pointing to himself. "Daddy." After a pause, Kala spoke.

"Dada?" She squeaked and Jane leaped up in excitement.

"Oh, Tarzan! She did it!" She cried, turning to give her husband a quick kiss.

"Dada!" Kala giggled and reached for her father, tiny hands grasping at the air between them. Tarzan smiled softly, but felt his heart swell again, so much he felt it might burst. He picked up his daughter and held her to him, breathing in her fresh, clean scent and laughing when she began to yank on his hair, as she often did, giggling out her newest word.

"I'm so happy," he sighed. Jane smiled and ran a hand across his neck.

"I'm glad," she said. Her husband looked at her seriously.

"Are you happy, Jane?" He asked her. Surprised by the abruptness of the question, her words left her. This is a question, she knew, that Tarzan often asked himself. How her handsome wild man must worry that she would regret leaving her home in England. She also knew that the strict, hypocritical existence of a proper English lady could never compare to what she had now: a beautiful family, perfect husband, perfect children, and an exciting lifestyle. Was she happy?

"Yes, Tarzan," she answered after a pause, and leaned in to kiss her King. "You've made me happier than I ever believed to be possible."

* * *

"Mother! Mother, look!" Jane is startled from her peaceful reverie by Kala's cry. She is shocked to find her daughter swarmed by beautiful butterflies. The child grins at her from beneath her amber curls. She has her arms spread wide, the colorful creatures covering the length of them and many more flying in the air around her. Her big blue eyes shine with excitement and she looks to Jane, smiling. "Aren't they beautiful, mother?" She asks.

"Oh, but they are not," Tarzan's voice suddenly booms, "nearly as beautiful as you!" He seems to appear from thin air behind Kala, and he picks her up, twirling her around. The air is filled with the joyous sound of a child's laughter and the butterflies swirl around the pair in a storm of flashing color. Tarzan gives Kala's cheek a big wet kiss.

"Daddy!" Kala giggles, butterflies in her hair. A pair dance around each other and come to land on each of their noses. They look at the insects, then to each other and laugh at their cross-eyed expressions. Kala wraps her arms around Tarzan's neck and squeezes, excited to have her father back home in the nests.

Jane watches the magical scene with a smile, and a few butterflies flutter over to land on her shoulders and in her hair, making her giggle with pleasure. For who could resist such natural beauty? When Tarzan looks to her, he himself can only wonder, for there is no creature that he has seen as beautiful as his wife. Save for his precious Kala. He gently places his still giggling daughter down and slowly stalks over to his mate. She watches him with apprehension, wary of the the large grin he sports.

"Tarzan," she murmurs, and quickly stands up, backing away. "What are you doing?" She asks him, suspicion coloring her tone. He stops, still grinning. Jane could hit herself for not being able to stop her wandering eyes from trailing over the fine specimen before her, with all of his taunt, rippling muscle, defined abs, his... When she gets to his loincloth, she looks away blushing, embarrassed to be caught having such thoughts. Tarzan's grin widens. Not knowing what else to do, she bolts. She runs for her daughter and snags her up, quickly grabbing a nearby vine and taking to the trees. Behind her, she hears silence, and that only makes her more worried. Tarzan rules this jungle.

She swings through the jungle. When Jane, after a moment or two, sees no sign of her skilled husband, she aims to land on the large branch of a tree. She startles with a shout when she sees Tarzan drop onto the very branch she was aiming for. She kicks a nearby branch, altering the swing of the vine she has in one hand. She holds tightly to her squealing daughter in the other. Tarzan laughs and takes his own vine, swinging toward the pair.

"Why do you run from me, Jane?" She hears him growl darkly, right behind her. Jane shrills and finally leaps into a tree. When she turns to face him, he is no where to be seen. Her breath leaves her in short pants, and her chest rises and falls dramatically. Her wide eyes jerk to and fro, searching for dangers hidden in the calm of the evening jungle. She worries her lip in concentration. After a moment, when she senses no movement, she allows herself to relax a slight and turns to begin to make her way down the tree. She shrieks when she comes face to chest with the hunter and his arms wrap around her to crush both her and Kala to him.

"I have caught you," he rumbles, a feral grin stretching across his jaw. Jane can clearly see his sharp incisors and gulps. "Now what shall I do with my prize," he purrs into her ear, hand slowly petting down Jane's back.

"Daddy, no!" Kala laughs, squirming in Jane's arms. "Don't eat us!" Tarzan raises a brow.

"No?" He hums, sharp green eyes traveling over them both. "Then maybe I'll just..." He snarls like Sheeta, the leopard, swiftly snatching Kala into his arms and tickling her. She laughs wildly, struggling to get away.

"Mother!" She squeals, face red with mirth. "Help me!"

"Tarzan!"Jane admonishes him and beats on his arm, but for Tarzan, mighty hunter, mighty fighter, with all of his incredible, nearly super-human strength, her blows were nothing short of amusing. Jane yelps when the arm not supporting their daughter comes to wrap around her waist and pull her helplessly to him.

"And now your turn," he wastes no time in peppering small kisses all over the Englishwoman's face, paying no heed as it grew pink and hot. Jane was laughing, and in his arms, and that was all that mattered. When he ceases his attack, his wife and daughter are both giggling and looking at him, happy and protected. He smiles and wordlessly shifts Kala around to hang onto his back. Kala has lived her life as mangani and needs not to be told what to do. She wraps her arms and legs tight for anchorage. Jane wraps her arms around his middle and holds onto Kala. Tarzan grabs a thick, sturdy vine and within a few moments they are back in their nest. Kala immediately falls from her father's back, landing nimbly and taking off just as quickly to the area she claimed as hers in the nest. Her parents watch her, Tarzan's arm around Jane's waist.

It is midday. Looking off into the deep jungle, Kala bellows out a sound that her noble English cousins would find frightful, and deranged, and hearing it come from such a small, lovely child would no doubt cause them to faint. Kala waits for the answering call of her brothers. She hears the call of the young apes she often plays with and grunts a happy greeting. She calls again for her brothers, but hears no answer. Pouting, she turns to her parents.

"Why must I always stay in the nest?" She plops unceremoniously into her bed, arms crossed. Her parents share a look. Tarzan shrugs, but cannot help smiling. Jane rolls her eyes, but reciprocates his smile.

"She gets it from you," she accuses, slapping at his arm. Tarzan laughs. That can only be a compliment, for Jane has told him that Kala's development of language is nothing short of amazing. Though Jane and her sons have learned many of the Jungle languages, it is Kala alone who inherited Tarzan's strange ability to perfectly imitate any sound she heard. Not only this, but she is able to speak in full and sometimes complicated sentences that, at her young age, should be quite impossible. They settle beside Kala.

"It is much safer for you here, my love," Jane explains. "With our strong cousins around us, danger will not be able to near you."

"But what of my brothers?" She cries and pounds at the earth. "They leave with the dawn, and return only to sleep and brag!" Her arms once again fold, and her pouting makes Tarzan feel uneasy. He whimpers the soft, comforting grunts of his mother's people and brushes the back of his hand against her arm. She glares petulantly into the distance. She glances at her father, who does a fair impersonation of her own pout. She sighs and scoots to her parents, laying against her father as Jane is in his lap. Tarzan curls an arm around her.

"Do you see this, Kala?" He asks and traces the claw marks on Jane's arm from her shoulder down to her elbow. Jane shivers at the gentle touches. Kala's eyes widen with curiosity. She had never thought to wonder about the scars. She nods enthusiastically. Tarzan's lips are set in a grim frown and Jane lays a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. He smiles briefly at her, before giving his daughter a solemn look. After a moment, he speaks, "Do you know why your brother is named The Killer?" Kala slowly shakes her head, already fascinated by the story to come. Her deep ocean eyes stay locked onto her father, enraptured, as he begins the tale:

* * *

The sun's heat bore down relentlessly on the jungle, and a merciful cool breeze swept across the area. Downwind a herd of Bara, the deer, lapped peacefully at the fresh water of the Great River. Each will drink for only a few moments, before their paranoia demands that they take stock of their surroundings. They are a skittish species, prone to flee at but the slightest of sounds, and there are few faster than they on the island.

Their paranoia was not unfounded, for but a few feet away the jaws of death awaited them. High in the trees, sharp eyes drank in all the information that there was to see. Man sees Sabor, the lioness, prowling through the bushes and high grass along the jungle floor, as silent as the wind that hid her scent from her prey.

"Father!" A sharp whisper, but the eyes of the King of the Jungle remained locked onto his bounty. "Father!" His son was persistent, and beside them his eldest son rolled his eyes and silently moved to a branch a little closer to Bara, griping his rope tightly at one end and using his other hand to whirl the noose about carelessly. "Sabor will scare Bara away!" Archimedes insisted.

"Son," Tarzan spoke quickly and softly, but did not avert his eyes. "That will not happen. If we catch Bara now, Sabor will attack us. Instead, we'll take Bara in the confusion that Sabor creates."

"Or," Korak smirked and eyed Sabor, "we could catch something much more worthwhile." Archie's eyes widened at his brother, before he too smirked and narrowed his eyes on the beast. Tarzan looked Korak over thoughtfully. When he saw a gleeful grin on the young but calculating Archimedes, he shook his head and laughed lowly.

"I don't think that would make your mother very happy," he told them. The trio suddenly stilled, poised. They watched as Sabor lunged from the depths onto a lone female. Bara ran and scattered into the nearby trees. Just as soon, Korak and Tarzan each had one caught in their rope and pulled them swiftly into the trees. Archie watched as a young male ran perfectly below him. He tossed his rope. Before he'd gotten too far Bara was snapped by the neck to the ground, dead. Archie pulled him into the trees. Korak watched Sabor, who pulled her meal to her and lay down to eat. Before she took the first bite she looked at Korak. She rumbled and bared her fangs, then pulled back her lips and hissed at him. Korak watched as Sabor tore into her kill. Six eyes snapped to the trees behind them, eying the still leaves. A small rustling noise got louder and they saw something moving just inside the foliage. Neeta burst into view in a flurry of red, yellow, blue and green. Archie held out his hand and the parrot perched there gracefully, his wings still twitching with excitement.

"Danger! Nest is in danger! Numa! Numa!" Tarzan needed to hear no more. He turned to his sons.

"Find your mother and sister and get to safety." He dashed off without another word, practically flying through the jungle at speeds no civilized man would think possible.

Korak grunts at Archie to follow him and they charge ahead. They run for but a few moments and then Sabor is upon them.

* * *

The next chapter will open with the end to this flashback.

So yay, we got some cutesey feels and some action in this chapter! More action to come!

**Review please!**


	3. The Killer

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tarzan. I don't own the Lion King. All rights to Disney and Edgar Burroughs. The only thing I own is my OC, who isn't here yet.

**Warnings:** Violence, blood, guts, etc.

**IMPORTANT: **THIS IS STILL THE FLASHBACK. I know the movie says Sabor is a leopard, but I'm going by the book on this (on a lot of things, actually). For clarification, in the flashback Archimedes is 8 (but a tall, mature, genius 8 year old).

Chapter 4 is complete. I will be posting it in a matter of days after a bit of proof-reading.

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**Chapter 3: The Killer**

While her husband and sons were hunting, Jane and her daughter stayed in the nests with the tribe. The mangani can eat meat but they prefer to eat bugs, which are easier to find and consume. As humans, however, Tarzan and his family need more meat, and so the men hunted. Perhaps someday Kala too would become a mighty hunter.

But that day would be a long time in coming, Jane mused. Using a tattered cloth, she wiped the drool from her infant's face with a smile. She hummed a soft tune under her breath and went back to her task of making clothes for her family. Though Tarzan had been fine in the jungle without having clothes, Jane didn't see any reason why he had to go on in such a manner. She knew that Tarzan saw clothes as the mark of a civilized man, and while Tarzan had little care for civilized man's rules, tricks, and lies, since he'd left the jungle that first time so many years ago, he no longer wished to be a simple beast.

Their clothes weren't much, still allowing for comfort and flexibility. She'd made a few pairs of short pants for the males, coming to just under their knees, as well as an updated version of Tarzan's classic loincloth. She'd had quite a shock the first time she'd seen that. Tarzan's loincloth had been nothing more than a small piece of hide that didn't really cover much. Jane had gotten more than an eyeful that first day. Now she'd made a sort of cloth cup that would, erm, hold things together, so to speak, while the old loincloth still hung in the front. Though, Jane recalled with a blush, sometimes her wild man still preferred to run about in his traditional wear. For her, she'd made a top that came to just above her belly button, and a short skirt with shorts attached underneath. She'd made a few similar outfits for her daughter, though Kala wouldn't be wearing them for a long time yet. She thanked God and the Jungle for Bara. If it weren't for them, they might all truly be running around the jungle naked!

"Jane! Queen of the Jungle!" Neeta, Jane's old friend, flew from the leaves to hop along the floor of their nest.

"Neeta," Jane greeted him with a peaceful smile, her silky hair falling over her shoulders gracefully. When she saw her friend's ruffled feathers, she rose a slim brow. "Is something wrong, friend?" She asked him.

"Neeta sees Numa!" He squawked. Jane gasped. A lion! She immediately reached for Kala. "Neeta tells Numa to go away! Tarzan will kill Numa!" He puffed up his chest with pride at this for a moment. "Numa says Tarzan will not die! Says Tarzan will weep! Bring Tarzan to Numa! Bring Tarzan to Numa!" Jane's face grew pinched. Tarzan will weep? That is strange. She shook her head. There are more pressing things to worry about, she told herself. She scanned the area and was shocked to find the feline prowling quite close to the tribe. She shouted at Neeta, demanding that he raise an alarm and then go inform her husband. He flew off without another word, squawking loudly.

The apes stilled, before leaping into action. The young, elderly, and vulnerable were swiftly herded into the middle of the nests. As Tarzan commanded of them, the stronger apes formed a circle around the weak, facing out to the jungle just as Numa charged into view. He attacked a nearly fully grown ape, claws digging into his arms and fangs catching him below his neck. Bleeding but not fatally injured, the male grabbed Numa by the shoulders and flung him away. Numa landed on his feet and charged again, aiming for a smaller but fully grown female. She bared her fangs and beat the floor in a show of strength, daring the beast to come closer. Numa roared at her, but attacked the female next to her. Not expecting this, the ape could not bring her arms up in time to stop the cat from sinking his fangs into her neck. She thrashed for a few moments, then fell over, dead. Numa grunted a laugh and stood back, eying the tribe.

Just as quickly as their sister had gone down, the tribe had closed the opening in the circle, and continued to shriek and roar at the lion. The Queen watched all this from high up in trees, as Tarzan had asked her to. This all looked very strange. Numa had already killed their cousin. Why had he not made off with his meal? Why linger, knowing he could not defeat the tribe in their newly learned formation? Numa retreated to the trees. Just as the tribe thought he would leave, he burst back into view, attacking but hardly injuring another male.

That was just odd. Again, the lion retreated into the jungle. Something was wrong here. The next time the cat came into view, Jane gaped at a scar on the cat's back. T- that was Nuka! Son of the terrible Zira, the lioness whom Tarzan had killed those many years ago when she'd first come to the jungle! Then... where was his sister? They were never apart. Realization dawned on her face and her heart thundered in her chest. It couldn't be.

Could it?

She looked to the river, where her boys often go to hunt. A harsh look graced her pretty face. She grabbed a sling from the nest and wrapped it around herself. She gently secured Kala into it and pushed it around so that the child would be on her back. Then she grabbed a vine and took off into the jungle. Nuka watched her leave. He disappeared into the jungle, leaving the tribe alone with their fear and confusion.

But a minute or two later, Tarzan arrived. In no time at all he was able to read the situation. He took off after his wife.

At the river, Korak demanded that Archimedes stay behind him and growled fiercely when his young brother attempted to argue. In front of him crouched Vitani, daughter of Zira, sister of Nuka. She and her brother had lived for many years, and their strength and cunning were infamous on Jungle Island. They circled each other, Korak holding a simple but deadly spear in one hand and a large, intricate switchblade in the other, a gift from his father. Vitani hissed and growled, before throwing her head back and grunting a lion's laugh.

"How lucky I am to find the white monkeys without their king," she purred. Archie noticeably bristled at the insult.

"I don't think luck is what brought you here," Korak responded. He remained ever impassive and prepared to fight. The feline rumbled low and sat gracefully, her long tail swishing about in a relaxed manner.

"Perhaps you are right," Vitani agreed, quite pleasantly. "Tell me, Prince: You are of age, are you not?" Korak frowned. He was 17 now, yes, fully grown in the eyes of men.

"I don't see why that's any business of yours," Korak hissed at the lioness and motioned for Archie to flee into the trees. To his relief, his young brother obeyed. The great cat hardly spared the child a glance, licking her paw and running the wet appendage over her head. She shook herself and stood.

"I am only concerned for you, young one," she explained, prowling closer. Korak circled around to keep the distance between them. "It doesn't look like the King will be dying any time soon, and there are no ugly naked monkeys here for you to mate." Korak scowled. "You will never be King."

"Thank you for your concern," he acknowledged politely. "But you've no need to involve yourself with things you cannot understand, simple beast." At the insult, the cat quickly poised for attack and hissed wildly at the young man. Korak only smirked. Vitani looked to the trees and visibly shook herself in an attempt to regain composure. Relaxing her stance, she purred:

"A simple beast, am I? Simple enough to best the mighty King of the Jungle, and his Prince!" Suddenly, there was a loud roar behind Korak.

He turned to find Nuka lunging at him at him from the dense jungle. Acting quickly, he hit the dirt and rolled away. He was back of his feet in seconds and turned to smack Nuka in the back of his skull with his spear, using enough force to stun a man. The cat was not unaffected, but this only made the beast angrier. Shaking off the dizziness, he turned to Korak with his claws fully extended and roared. Korak raised his spear. The two charged at each other. Nuka swiped for Korak, but the man jumped and landed on the beast's head, using it to launch himself upward. He flipped over Nuka and landed behind him, the force of the jump pushing the lion's face into the ground. From behind him, Korak stabbed at him with the spear. He knew there was nowhere he could fatally wound the cat from that position, and so did his best to injure him. Using his spear, he was able to pierce the upper portion of both the cat's hind legs.

Nuka yowled in pain and quickly turned to face the man, ignoring the burning pain and blood streaming from his legs. With a growl, Vitani hurled herself into the fight. Korak just managed to escape her claws. Both felines faced him now, and Korak raised his weapons with a deep, fearsome roar that rang throughout the jungle like thunder. All the noise of the jungle stopped. After a moment of silence, the cats hesitated, then charged. They were strong and quick, with long teeth and claws, but Korak was not afraid. The lions would fall. But he worried for Archimedes, hardly more than a child. He must believe that his troublesome little brother is clever enough to escape.

High in the trees, Archimedes' thoughts were quite the opposite. Korak will die, he reasoned. Korak was able to escape Nuka's claws, but he was steadily being pushed toward Vitani, who's heavy paws bore down on his spear with great force. Looking around him, Archie's eyes narrowed with intrigue when he saw a particular plant. It was a round, mushroom like plant that grew in clusters and was eaten by no animal in the Jungle._ Lycoperdon perlatum_, the puffball. Smirking, he scooped them up.

"Korak!" He called. "Go low!" Korak ducked as his brother began firing the plants at Vitani. They smacked her body with a wet sound and each burst into a thick black smog with about a 1 meter diameter. As each puffball hit her, the cloud around her grew and soon she was wheezing and stumbling blindly. "Ha!" Archie mocked her, grinning cockily. Vitani's body turned toward him and she shook herself. Eyes closed, she ran towards him from the cloud of poison. Archie's grin melted into wide-eyed shock. "Uh oh!" he commented aptly. He turned and ran into the jungle, death hot on his heels.

Still running with the speed born of a Jungle Prince, Archimedes led the blinded lioness away from his brother. The had no weapons, having left his spear at the river. He cursed his carelessness in not bringing his bow to the hunt. While his brother Korak preferred his spear, and knives, and fists, Archimedes wielded the bow in a way that stunned his father, and mother, and grandfather. Having constructed his own bow and arrows, he could shoot with 97.8% accuracy at a distance of 900 meters, as far as he'd measured. He'd only recently begun to record such things. But there was no use regretting what could not be changed, when his mental capacities could be much further used in the situation at hand: That is, running for his life. He heard the small, frightened cries of unseen creatures as Vitani trampled blindly through the trees after him. She wheezed and coughed and growled, blinking harshly in a vain attempt to clear her vision and trying her best not to fall. She relied only on her keen hearing, following Archie's light, airy footsteps.

At the river, Korak battled with the injured but infuriated Nuka. Lunging for him, Nuka swiped Korak's spear from his hand. Korak growled softly, stepping away from the cat's deadly claws. He didn't have time for this! His dear brother, so young and small, was in danger! Nuka was fighting a losing battle. He was weak and losing blood rapidly, though the weaker he became the angrier he grew, giving him the strength to continue fighting. He might have saved his breath. Korak was without his spear, but he was strong. Looking to his left, he smirked when he laid his sword sharp eyes on a boulder. With a great leap, the rock was at his feet and Nuka was a few feet away. While The Prince's back was turned, Nuka's eyes narrowed. He saw his victory. He lunged for him agian. Korak picked up the heavy rock with both hands and slung it around just in time for it to smack into the side of Nuka's skull. The boulder slammed to the earth with a heavy thud, the dust mixing with the blood splattered across it's surface. Nuka body lay sprawled across the earth beside him.

Korak stared down at the beast, his chest heaving with a feeling he could not name. With a pitiful mewl, Nuka swiped once more at the Prince's feet. Piercing eyes narrowed. The rock was raised again. A sickening crunch filled the air along with blood as the boulder smacked into the cat's skull once- twice- thrice. Nuka was dead. With a great heave, Korak raised the thick creature above his head. He roared his victory to the skies, a sound fearsome, deadly, and all his own. A sound that carried across the jungle like the winds of a hurricane and cracked through the air like a gunshot in the night. He roared and roared again. He was Korak of the Apes, Prince of the Jungle. He was mighty, and none would stand against him. He heard the answering challenge of the jungle- the bellow of a lone mangani, the roar of Numa. He grinned.

Growing ever closer, Tarzan and Jane heard his call of victory.

"Korak!" The Prince heard Archie call behind him and turned to see his little brother burst from the trees, barely escaping the claws of Vitani. Berating himself for forgetting the danger for even an instant, he dropped the corpse with a heavy thud. His silver eyes narrowed and he roared with challenge. Vitani's eyes dart to him and she hissed. When she saw her dead brother, she howled with grief- a pitiful wail that grate against Korak's ears.

"Brother!" She cried desperately. She ran to him and shook him with her paw. "Nuka!" Mewling, she knelt to lick his snout. He lay still. She bowed her head and leaned against him, whimpering against his corpse.

Korak switched open his blade silently and began inching closer to his spear. Before he could reach it however, Vitani turned her gaze to him. Her eyes were dark with hate. She would kill him. She sprung for Korak suddenly. Korak jumped to the side. One of his hands came up between him and the lioness and shoved her lethal claws away. He turned in time to dig his blade into her already tormented throat. She choked and Korak smirked when he saw her spit blood. Blood burst from the wound, but the blade had miraculously missed all vital points, though blood loss alone would be a great problem for the feline.

"You," she wailed and moved toward him sluggishly. "You have taken my brother from me!"

Korak could no longer entertain this rubbish. "Are you daft," he scoffed, his breath in short controlled pants. He stayed in a defensive form. "You attacked my family!"

"My dearest Nuka," she raved, swaying. The pain and poison clouded her mind, and the world was dark and unclear. "You have taken him! Just as your father took my mother, The Great Zira!" Korak looked upon her as she swayed and gagged and felt pity. Did she not know what her mother had done? Korak frowned.

"Your mother was a savage beast," he stated. "With no cause she vowed to kill my father and eat him, and any who belonged to him. Was he not to protect his tribe? His family?" He wondered if he was wasting his breath on this animal. He had long since understood that Man was different, superior. Vitani hissed, though she wheezed as her lungs burned. She would not kill him, it burned her to know. She was too weak to be a threat to him. He, who had defeated a perfectly healthy Nuka like it was nothing. The poison had made her weak and her senses were useless.

But she would not be without her revenge.

"She should have killed you all!" She snarled. "You... You have stolen all that I know from me," she choked on her growl and bowed her head. "My mother, my brother..." She settled deadly calm eyes upon him. "You will feel my pain." She lunged toward him and he poised to dodge, but she suddenly changed direction, heading instead for Archie who stood foolishly watching hardly more than a meter away, a few feet that disappeared quickly under Vitani's great paws. Korak leaped for them, but knew she would have his brother in her claws. His heart beat frantically in horror. Just as she made to grab the boy, they heard the call of the King of the Jungle and Archie was snatched away by the beautiful Queen. She screamed when Vitani's gruesome claws sank into her arm. As they continued to swing, the claws pulled inside her skin and she wailed. Her skin tore and she swung freely away, tears in her eyes. She did not let go of her son.

Tarzan heard her scream and, impossibly, began to race through the jungle even faster.

Korak snarled and slammed into Vitani's back, forcing her onto her stomach. He sat on her back, his feet holding her large paws to the earth. He grabbed around her neck and swung his fist into it again, and again, and again, as he growled. He watched her whine, spit blood, and drool uncontrollably until finally he lifted her head in both of his hands and twisted it. Her neck snapped with a clean pop. He dropped her skull and stood above her corpse, raven locks shrouding his face in darkness.

He was Korak of the Apes, son of King Tarzan, might hunter, mighty fighter. He was Korak, slayer of beasts. He looked to the skies, the sun gleaming on his skin and turning his silver eyes into a reflection of light. He was mighty. With a great roar, he beat his heavy fists on his chest, declaring his victory for all of the jungle to hear.

"Korak," a soft voice whispered to him. He turned to face his mother and brother's smiles as they approached him, awed by his triumph. "You saved us," Jane told him and opened her arms. He grinned and fell into them, wrapping strong arms around her shoulders, careful not to jostle his amazingly still alseep baby sister, or disturb the fresh injury. "I'm so proud of you," Jane mumbled, her words muffled by his thick arm. He responded simply:

"What else was I to do?"

"A lesser man would have fled," he heard his father speak behind him. Jane pulled away from Korak. Her face brightened with a brilliant smile when she saw her husband, and she ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into his arms. She held onto his shoulders and they kissed, relieved to see each other alive and well. He set her down and immediately began to fuss over her arm, which she tried to assure him would be fine once cleaned and bandaged.

"Brother!" Archimedes tackled him, though it had much the same effect as running into a wall. His grinning little brother then punched him in the gut, and Korak laughed. "That was exemplary!" The blond continued, arms moving animatedly in his excitement. "You have slain both Nuka and Vitani, the most ferocious felines on Jungle Island!" He grinned slyly at Korak, and struck him with his elbow. "For a moment I was completely convinced that you would meet with death!" Korak chuckled and mussed Archie's golden hair.

"I may very well have, were it not for my troublesome baby brother," he quipped, punching Archie's shoulder, and was rewarded when the Young Prince's face glowed with pride.

"Well," Archimedes sighed dramatically after a moment. "I suppose I couldn't allow my foolish brute of a brother to perish underneath the claws of those beasts. I may have need of your assistance as a test subject for my latest creation!" He smirked at Korak.

"Is that so, little nestling?" Korak laughed at his brother's insincere scowl.

"Who are you calling a nestling?"

"Would you prefer suckling? No? Moppet, then."

"Shall I call you an imbecile? Ignoramus? No? Simpleton, then."

"Ha! You will not refer to me as such with your skull underneath my foot!"

Their parents watched them bicker and laughed softly with each other at their troublesome but incredible children. Tarzan laid a heavily scarred and calloused hand on his eldest son's shoulder. Korak turned to face him, a small smile tugging at his lips. Tarzan smiled at his Prince.

"Korak, I am so proud of you," he began, and Korak's smile lit up his face. "I fear for what could have befallen your mother and brother had you not intervened. Your strength and courage would awe even the greatest of warriors, and I am proud to call you my son."

"Thank you, father," Korak placed a hand upon his father's for a moment, before both hands fell. Tarzan looked behind Korak, where the bodies of the beasts who had attacked them lay still. His eyes drank in their injuries. He saw the trail of broken branches that had been trampled under harried feet and paws. He saw the weapons laying too far to be of assistance in the battle. He saw the rock caked with blood and the unmentionable bloody things splattered across the earth. He turned back to his son, who looked at him with sharp, focused eyes. Tarzan's next words would give name to what would one day cause many men to tremble in fear:

"For your display of strength, courage, and prowess in battle, you will no longer be Prince Korak of the Apes, Son of King Tarzan. You are the slayer of great beasts. You are Korak the Killer."

* * *

Kala's wide blue eyes hardly blink as Tarzan brings the tale to an end.

"This scar," he says, one hand still caressing the dark, raised skin on Jane's otherwise smooth, pale arm, "marks the day that your brother became a man by defending his family."

"Wow," Kala breathes and falls back onto her bed. She stares up at the leaves that shelter the tribe from the blistering sun. "That's... Wow." Jane laughs.

"If you find it that interesting, perhaps your father should regale you with a few adventures from his own past, hm?" She suggests, smiling coyly at her husband who rolls his eyes playfully and sighs. His wife only giggles. Kala squeals and leaps for him, wrapping her tiny arms around one much larger.

"Really, Daddy?" She asks eagerly. "Please tell me more stories!" Tarzan smiles and slips his arm out of her grip to scoop her up. He kisses her cheek and is warmed to his core at her soft laughter.

"Yes, Kala. I will tell you of my adventures, many years spent searching for one very troublesome woman," he promises, making eyes at his wife. He ignores Jane's small noise of indignation with a grin. "But not tonight."

"Aww," Kala whines and crosses her arms with a pout. Jane tuts and picks her up, standing from Tarzan's lap. She deposits her sulky child onto her bed.

"Pouting won't work this time, love," she says and sits down next to her daughter's bed. "The sun is setting. Your brothers will be here soon, and the other nestlings are already drifting off. It's time for beautiful princesses to return to dreamland." She pulls the fur blanket over Kala's shoulders. Kala yawns and shifts into a more comfortable position. Jane sits next to Tarzan, who watches over the tribe from their nest, high up in the trees.

"Do you think," Kala mumbles and is interrupted by another yawn, "that I'll ever be as strong as my brothers?" Tarzan and Jane share a look.

"You are my daughter," Tarzan says after a while, "and all that you desire will be yours."

Kala sleeps on.

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**END OF CHAPTER 3: THE KILLER**

Next chapter we greet a few old friends and meet some new ones.

Then things get really interesting.

**PLEASE** REVIEW! **REVIEWS ARE MY LIFE!** REVIEW **REVIEW** REVIEW **REVIEW!** I'll give you a cookie?


	4. Another Day in the Jungle

So let me start by saying that I did not expect this part to be so long. It took forever to write. I was trying to hold back from posting until I had more chapters written, but I just couldn't resist!

No warnings for this chapter, just a little jungle fun! And a little something crazy.

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**Chapter 4: Another Day in the Jungle **

It is midday. The sun is high in the sky and bathes the island in light and heat. In the midst of the jungle foliage, a group of young mangani crowd around a young man and a large ape.

"Alrighty, boys. Ya know the rules," a fully grown female begins from up on a high branch above the crowd. Crouched before her is her own son, Terkoz, a very, very large and powerful ape who will look after the tribe once he is grown. To the left of him is the Prince of the Jungle, son of her best friend and tribe leader Tarzan. Running a hand through her uniquely styled fur, Terk pulls out a mite and pops it in her mouth. She chews for a moment, making approving noises before she swallows and again begins to speak. "I don't wanna to see any tricks. No throwin', pushin', fightin', no weapons, no cheatin'. Ya got it?" All around the trio the mangani adolescents grunt and shout out the name of their chosen victor. "Shut it!" Terk snaps at them and they quiet.

"Yeah, Korak," Terkoz spits at Korak even as he grins. "No cheating." Korak shakes his head with a laugh.

"Why would I need to cheat to beat you?" he retorts. Terkoz grumbles and places a large, sweaty palm on the Prince's face before pushing him away. Korak stumbles a bit at the force and wipes his face with his forearm, growling his displeasure at the contact.

"Enough!" Terk interjects, giving them an unimpressed look before inspecting her nails. "Do ya accept these rules, or not?" Both participants nod in affirmation.

"Good, 'cause ya don't have a choice! Now, the first one to the waterfall is the winnah," Terk continues, picking at her teeth. "And they're the ones gettin' that prize, okay?" She catches something on her nail, inspects it for a moment, before flicking it away distastefully. She stands tall on her knuckles and faces the contestants. "Are ya ready?" Korak prepares himself to begin. He kneels to the earth on one knee, the other leg stretching behind him. He places his palms on either side of him. "I wanna see a good clean race out there, boys! And Terkoz," she grins at her son's stoic face, "Make Mama proud." He grunts and moves into his own readying position. "On my mark!" Korak closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He exhales. His eyes snap open, gleaming slate orbs filled with determination. "Ready..." The Prince looks out to jungle, prepared to take his victory. "GO!"

Korak and Terkoz shoot off into the jungle.

"Are you ready to accept defeat, Prince?" Terkoz grunts, great hands and feet thundering along the floor as he runs. Korak only laughs and runs a few feet ahead of his competition. The ape growls and tries to overtake him. They are then presented with their first obstacle. Before them is a large pool of beautiful golden sand. The sparkling specks circled into a swirl, though they lay still.

"The Sandpit," a voice announces. The competitors look to the right to see their good friend Meriem, a coral colored elephant, daughter of Tantor. Much like her father, she knows all of the dangers in their jungle and is somewhat paranoid. She is dainty for an elephant- small, intelligent, calm, and kind, and is known to act as Korak's conscience when he seems to forget that he has one. "We all know what happens if you fall in," Meriem tells them placidly, "so please, don't. You have two options: Figure out a way across, or go the long way around and lose time." Korak smirks at her.

"You could have thought up something more challenging," he scoffs and leaps to his right into a tree. His movement is fluid as he climbs up the tree, thick muscles bunching and stretching. He leaps into the air above the pit. As he falls he grabs onto a sturdy vine and effortlessly swings to another, flying over the sandpit. He lets go of the vine and flips once in the air before landing in a crouch, poised so perfectly that he makes not a sound. After a moment, he stands on his feet and smirks at Terkoz, crossing his heavily muscled arms over an equally defined chest.

Terkoz glowers at him and huffs. He looks to his left, and to his right. Without warning, the mammoth ape runs into the jungle and disappears into the the trees. Korak can hear him meandering about, and then he appears again, dragging behind him a large, heavy log that is not quite long enough to cross the sandpit.

"Good work, friend," Korak praises him, "but I'm not sure if your little stick will help you out of this one." Terkoz doesn't reply, merely glowering once more at his cocky friend before he growls loudly and heaves the thick log up and tosses it into the sandpit. By some stroke of luck or otherwise, the log lands directly in the middle of the sandpit, though it is not long enough to touch either side. It slaps the top of the sand, sending shimmering specks all around. It has already sunk an inch. Korak smirks at Terkoz, daring him to catch up. Terkoz growls and leaps onto the log. It sinks another two inches under his weight, and he flinches as if shocked.

Korak's smirk drops as he watches his friend slowly cross the log. It sinks another inch. He almost begins to worry for the ape. "At this rate," he comments idly, "I might win by default." It did the trick. Terkoz has always had a quick a temper, and as the Prince suspected he did not take to being teased. With a loud snarl, the ape quickly runs the rest of the way across, the log sinking deeper and deeper until the sand has almost reached him, and just as he jumps toward Korak the log disappears into the sand. Terkoz lands on his side beside Korak, who looks down at him again sporting his signature smirk. "That was rather close, wouldn't you say?" Terkoz says nothing. Instead he races off into the jungle, taking the lead that Korak had wasted teasing him. With a full laugh, Korak charges after him. He is quick to grab a vine and begin swinging and catches up to his friend in no time.

"If you want to win this," Terkoz grunts as he runs, "you're going to have to stop taking breaks to gloat." Korak laughs and swings into the trees.

"You forget to whom you speak," he replies cockily. He doesn't stop for a moment. He lands on a thick branch, calloused feet sliding effortlessly along the moss covered bark. Picking up speed, he surfs along the branch. The branch ends with a slope that pushes him into the air. He tucks into a tight ball and flips twice before uncurling and landing on another thick, mossy branch. Crouching low, he picks up more speed. The branch ends and he leaps quickly from one branch, to another, and another, until he lands on one long enough to continue riding. The branch gradually splits into two, one for each foot. The branches curve, and dip, and tangle around each other, and he continues along seamlessly, his feet crossing and uncrossing rapidly, sliding along the curves of the twisted branch. It comes together again.

He can see that there is a clearing in front of him. The sun shines down on the jungle floor uninterrupted. When the branch ends he jumps and grabs a branch above him. Time seems to slow as he swings his body as hard as he can and flies into the light. Terkoz looks up and watches in amazement as his friend soars into the sky. Korak flips once and then spreads his arms and legs wide. He's soaring through the sky with no ties to the Earth but to look from above and wonder at its strangeness. He breathes in the thick, clean air of _his_ jungle and opens his eyes to watch it fall away beneath him. He is aligned with the sun now and sees his shadow fall across the clearing. He smiles.

He's flying.

Time catches up to him, and he can feel himself falling. Amazingly, he'd managed to clear the entire area and grabs onto a thick vine on the other side of the clearing. He swings again into the jungle, hardly noticing as his friend Terkoz begins running. The ape had been so awed by Korak's near flight that he hadn't noticed he'd stopped. Laughing, the Prince swings ahead of his friend. Terkoz growls when he disappears from his sight and speeds up. He runs deeper into the jungle, his heavy hands and feet booming with every step. Suddenly Korak drops from the trees in front of him and Terkoz barely stops himself from crashing into the human, growling gruffly.

"What?" He snarls. Korak puts a finger to his lips, a gesture he taught the apes to be a call for silence. Curiosity peaked, Terkoz quiets and looks to where Korak points. His eyes widen when he realizes that but a few feet away a large herd of rhinoceros graze, hidden behind a thick wall of trees and tall weeds. Korak bemoaned his luck. Rhinoceros are usually solitary creatures, but they do not mind a bit of company while they eat. This isn't much help to a human or an ape, however. Their kind weren't invited to such parties and their attendance would have fatal consequences, as these creatures were known to be ferocious, violent, and quick to attack.

"This wasn't meant to be your second challenge," a soft voice speaks suddenly, "but I suppose there's no way past that, is there?" Both Terkoz jumps and Korak quickly turns to face the intruder, careful to stifle any sounds of surprise.

"Meriem?" Korak whispers, incredulous. The slender elephant is partially hidden from view, shaded by a group of trees. She steps out into the light with a giggle. "How did you get here so quickly?" He asks, bemusement coloring his tone. Meriem only smiles.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a mystery," she replies.

Terkoz turns an inquisitive gaze to Korak, who looks at him a moment, then shrugs. The Prince quietly ducks into the thick ferns that are growing all around the jungle floor, his ape friend right behind him.

Of the beasts there are many, and they are nearly as large as Meriem. Their attractive ivory horns glisten in the sun as Korak and Terkoz slowly move through the underbrush. Terkoz is taunt with nerves. He is not so easy to hide, and his large build makes light steps a struggle. Still, he manages to stay right behind the Prince as they silently make their way to the other side of the large herd.

Something snaps. Loudly. There is the chatter and flutter of birds panicking as they fly away. Korak whips around to Terkoz and sees the broken branch underneath his foot. He scowls.

"Uh, oops?" Terkoz grins sheepishly, holding up his palms. The Prince glares at him once more and shakes his head in dismay. The herd is in an uproar, trying to find the source of the sudden disturbance. Korak motions for his ape friend to keep quiet and hopes that they will not notice the duo hidden in the bushes.

"Trespassers!"

So much for that plan.

An old, withered male steps forward toward the pair. "Who dares test the might of our herd?" Korak and Terkoz share a glance. They reluctantly leave the shelter of the ferns and step out toward the old rhino, careful to keep plenty of space between them. Korak stands on his feet, but bows forward. He clasps his hands together in front of his chest and lowers his gaze.

"It is I, Korak, son of Tarzan. We meant no disrespect, elder." He bows low as he speaks even as skin crawls with the feeling of giving in. He has never been one to back down from a fight, but he'd be a fool to believe that an unarmed man and an ape could take down a herd of rhinoceros. More importantly, he has a race to win.

"You are far from your tribe,_ Prince_," the elder snorts and Korak nearly growls at the way he spits out his title, like the old bag feels that he is undeserving of it. He supposed he could call upon his father's name- King of the Jungle, loved, feared, and respected by all on Jungle Island, even the rhinoceros. Instead he straightens and stares into beady black eyes.

"Thank you, elder," Korak says lowly, "The obvious had escaped me." He smirks. "You're more clever than I thought." The elder snorts and stamps his hooves in anger.

"Yes, thank you, elder," Terkoz is suddenly cutting in. The ape wraps a thick, furry arm around Korak's shoulder. "Your wisdom is never ending, just like the strength of the rhino." Only Korak can feel how tightly Terkoz is holding to him and subtly trying to pull him back toward the trees. "I mean it, wise one. Ya look fantastic! Look at those muscles! Gonna need a lot of protein to keep that up, so go ahead and finish your meal and we'll just get out of your- eh, horns. See ya!" Terkoz abruptly turns the Prince around and pushes him toward the trees.

"You insolent whelps!" They hear the thunder of the herd's hooves beating the ground behind them.

"Oh no," Korak groans. They spare a quick glance at each other. "I blame you," Korak glowers. Terkoz glares back at him.

"You insulted a rhinoceros," he states blandly. Korak makes a gruff noise of disagreement. There isn't time for anything else as they begin to run for their lives. The earth quakes beneath them, and the sound of the herd's hooves thrum in their ears like the drums of war. Most of the trees in the are dead and have been gored and trampled, but the duo managed to slip out of sight into a group of fallen trees. "Well, Prince," Terkoz pants once they've managed to elude the herd, "what's the plan?" The herd has lost visual, but they are still searching and very near.

"Don't die," Korak answers as swings through the jungle vines. Quickly making his way on the jungle floor, Terkoz grunts and roll his eyes.

"Great plan," he mutters.

"There they are!"

"_Get them!_"

Branches cut across Terkoz's face as he runs. The herd is gaining on them, he can feel it. It is very hot, and they'd been running for so long already. He can't be sure how much longer he can keep this up.

"Terkoz!" The Prince shouts from above. "The cliff!" The ape cannot see, the trees block his view, but he trusts Korak. "We're going to have to climb down!" Korak yells over the pounding of the herd's stampede. Terkoz snorts a short, hysterical laugh. Typical. Why did these things only happen when Korak was around? "Here it comes!"

"Is this your only idea?" Terkoz yells back as a rhinoceros roars right behind him. He can see light through the dense trees. The cliff is just up ahead.

"Unless you'd rather go with my first plan!"

"I kinda like the sound of not dying!"

"Then jump!" Just as the young rhino makes to dig her horn into Terkoz's back, he leaps forward into the light. For a moment it stings and he is blind. Just as quickly he is falling and sees the jungle racing to meet him. He hears a shout above him and looks up to see the Prince almost on top of him. The wind is whipping around them, loud like a storm.

Terkoz slams his hands into the cliff wall, scrambling for purchase. Korak grabs a loose vine. He hands slide down, the friction burning, and the vine rips free of the wall. He grabs another and Terkoz does the same. Over and over again they grab at the vines and jutting rocks, desperate to slow down. They are not far from the jungle now. Korak takes a last glance at the view and sees the Great Lake, the waterfall, and the river that connects them, leading to a swirling sea that hides so many secrets and separates him from... from what? The trees are all around them now. Quickly he grabs a long vine. His muscles strain as he swings into the safety of the trees. Terkoz grabs a thick branch that breaks under his weight. It slows him down and he grabs another, and another, and another as he falls to the jungle floor. He hits the ground with a heavy thud. Worried, Korak makes his way down to his friend who lay unmoving on the ground. Korak leans down, weight on his knuckles. He grunts and nudges the ape with one curled fist. Terkoz groans and rolls onto his back.

"Sometimes I think you're just lucky," he croaks. Korak throws his head back with a short laugh, relieved.

"Can it be called luck with a 99% success rate?" He smirks down at his friend. Terkoz stares at him.

"What?" He asks, stupefied. Korak chuckles, shaking his head, and helps his friend up.

"Well," he starts as Terkoz gains his bearings, "shall we finish this?"

"The Great Lake is next," a soft voice speaks suddenly. The pair whirl around and are faced with-

"Meriem?" Terkoz shouts, incredulous. Korak steps closer to the elephant.

"This is getting embarrassing," he comments with a raised brow. "_How _do you keep doing that?" Meriem smiles.

"You're wasting time," she replies. The competitors glance at each other surreptitiously before they race off into the jungle. Birds fly and hog scatter as the distance disappears under their feet. Terkoz pants heavily as they run, and sweat rolls down Korak's sun-kissed skin. They are nearing the lake now and waste no time with banter. The crystal blue of the Great Lake appears before them and Korak swings from the trees high up into the sunlight. He lets go of his vine and flips once, twice, before landing with a great thud at the lake's edge. A moment or two later Terkoz' heavy footsteps are heard and he bursts from the trees with an angry scowl marring his face.

"Getting tired?" The Prince teases his friend. Terkoz huffs.

"Tired of seeing your ugly behind," he grouches as he makes his way to the water. Korak chuckles and punches his ape friend's shoulder with enough force to injure a human.

"Keep up with me next time," he retorts. Terkoz only rolls his eyes and brushes off said shoulder before he takes a step forward, getting his hands wet. He scowls at the water.

"What are we doing here?" He asks his reflection. "Meriem knows that Mangani don't swim." Korak shrugs. He's learned to expect the unexpected with Meriem. With sharp eyes he looks over the lake.

It seems to be bereft of life, which is certainly unusual. The Great Lake is the largest source of fresh water on the island, and creatures of all kinds come to replenish themselves by its shores. Korak eyes narrow and he glares at the water. There's something there. Something big. Suddenly, a group of bubbles begin floating up, and the water starts to wave and roll. The water rises and from it appears... an elephant? Suddenly another rises behind it. A few meters to the right, a hippopotamus rises from the water, followed by another behind it. One by one, a line of elephants and a line of hippopotamus form, cutting across the entire distance of the lake. With a raised brow, Korak turns to Terkoz, who stares back for a moment before shrugging.

"Well, that was unexpected," Terkoz comments. Korak shakes his head.

"We should have known."

"Should have known I was gonna beat you!" Terkoz shouts and leaps onto the first elephant in line.

"Careful there, Terkoz," the elephant speaks with a deep, baritone voice. "I'm not as young as I used to be." Terkoz gently massages one ear in apology and hops onto the next elephant with a quick thank you.

"Tantor!" Korak calls to his old friend as he jumps onto a hippo's back. "That's one clever girl you've got," he compliments as he leaps to his fourth hippopotamus. He pats her head and groans a kind word of thanks in her own language, to which she groans back her good luck wishes. Tantor laughs, turning to watch the duo make their way across the animal bridge.

"You don't know the half of it," he shouts to Korak's retreating back, a jolly smile on his old, whithered face.

Quickly The Prince and the ape make their way across the animal bridge, hopping along to a chorus of cheers and roars from their jungle crowd. They were neck and neck as they neared the lake's shore. A handful more hops and they would be on land, where a clear path had been made leading into the jungle. Korak's eyes narrow. With a snarl he rushes forward, jumping across three cheering hippos in quick succession and landing on the shore. Without pause he charges into the trees. Behind him, Terkoz has just touched the shore and is quick to come after him. Korak smirks when he sees the finish line, a large clearing where his cousins and friends await, calling to them:

_"Come on!" "You're almost there!" "The Prince will win!" "Hurry, slow ones!" "You're gonna beat him!" "Terkoz, pick it up!" "Come on, guys!" "You're right there!"_

There are two mangani standing on either side of the opening to the clearing. As soon as Korak speeds past them they each raise their open palms.

**"We have a winner!" **They announce. The crowd screeches and roars as loud as an earthquake. Korak slows down to greet them as they surround him, slapping his back and patting his shoulder with many kind words of congratulations. He grins and thanks them.

"The Prince wins, hm?" Meriem hums. Korak spins around to find her directly behind him. No longer surprised, he only huffs before smiling and patting her trunk.

"Was there any doubt, old friend?"

"And so humble, our Prince," a scowling Terkoz grunts as he walks up to his friends. Meriem smiles and pats his head with her trunk.

"Oh, my sweet Terkoz. Accept your loss with dignity or suffer a second," she advises him cheerily. "I'd say you did quite well, given your competition." Terkoz rolls his eyes.

"Always have to say something fancy," he grumbles. Korak laughs and slaps his back hard enough that Terkoz stumbles a bit.

"Don't be so sour, friend.," The Prince tries to assuage him. "You put up a good fight. Your mother will be proud."

"He's right!" Terk lumbers up to them and lays a hand that looks dainty against her giant son's shoulder. "Ya did great! Any other croak would've lost 'im in the sand! That was _fantastic_ by the way. Ya have such good ideas, son!" Terkoz smiles and preens under his mother's praise. Korak and Meriem watch them with small, amused smiles. The elephant turns to him.

"So," she begins, "would you like to receive your prize?" Korak smirks but isn't able to reply before Meriem bellows out through her trunk. The mangani and other jungle spectators flurry with movement, parting to reveal a group of young female apes who carry with them a large woven basket filled to the brim with the jungle's ripest, rarest fruits. "Fit enough for a Prince, I would say," Meriem smiles and gestures to the basket as it laid before him. He picks up a strange looking fruit, it's skin orange and red combined. He takes a bite. His eyes widen when the sweet taste hits tongue and the juices burst forth to spill onto the ground. He takes another, biting through the skin to the soft orange colored meat of the fruit. It's delicious! It's probably one of the tastiest fruits he'd ever eaten!

"Where did you get this?" He manages to ask between bites. Meriem hums noncommittally.

"Near the mountains," she answers. It's unusual for an elephant to go near the mountains, and Korak makes to question her further but sees movement in the corner of his eye. He focuses on a group of ferns and can just make out orange and black. This can only mean one thing. Quickly he turns back to the crowd, thankful that none have noticed his lapse in attention.

"Thank you all for the food and for the race. It was wonderful," he smiles at the crowd and scratches the nearest ape, a mere child, behind the ear.

_"The pleasure is ours, Prince!" "It was so much fun!" "You're amazing, Korak!" "I've never seen anything like it!"_

He laughs and raises a hand to try to calm and quiet the crowd. "Thank you," he says, chuckling. "But now I'm afraid I have something to attend to. Would one of you be so kind as to take this basket to my mother, the Queen?"

_"I will! I'll bring the basket to our Queen!" "No, I will!" "No, me!" "Oh, please! Let me take it to the Queen!" "Please, Prince! Pick me!" "ME!"_

While his cousins begin to argue, Korak turns to his friends with a laugh. "Meriem, Terkoz. Could you please make sure this basket is taken to my mother, full and in one piece?" They share a look.

"Sure, Korak," Terkoz shrugs. "Only 'cuz she's so pretty," he snorts at Korak's small growl and goes to break up the fight. "Hey, _shut it_, ya scavengers!"

"What is this mysterious task you must attend to?" Meriem asks. Korak shrugs.

"Nothing important, really. I'll be back before Terkoz can count to ten," he smirks.

_ "I heard that!" _Terkoz shouts. Korak grins and nods at the growling ape, who turns back to the still arguing crowd with a roll of his eyes.

"Do carry on," Korak suggests to Meriem as he wipes his face clean of the mango's juices and throws the half eaten peal to the floor. "I'll be back soon. Take care." With that, he runs up to a large tree and begins climbing, scaling it to the first branch in a matter of seconds. He grabs a vine and swings into the jungle. Meriem watches until he disappears, then sighs and moves to the crowd. She blows her horn and the crowd silences.

"Right then. We'll _all_ take the basket to the Queen, thank you. Let us begin."

Korak crouches low in the shadows of a bush, watching until the very last of the crowd is out of sight. Standing, he calls out to the jungle:

"Abdul!"

There is no noise but for the wind whistling through the trees. The birds are silent and the tree creatures hide in their hollows. A low growl fills the air, and Korak waits.

"Korak the Killer, slayer of beasts." He turns to his side and sees the tiger, larger than any feline he's known, almost as large as the giant Terkoz. There is but one tiger on this island. Were his cousins to have seen him, there would be such an uproar that even Tarzan, the King himself, would come with arms raised. "What an honor," the tiger rumbles, "to be graced with the company of the Prince of Fools." He takes a seat, tail swaying behind him calmly. Korak looks skyward with a sigh.

"Mocking me, Abdul?" He asks as he walks up to the beast. "At least I'm not _a sweet little kitten_," he teases and scratches the large cat under his chin, grinning when he nearly starts puring. Shaking his head, the tiger pulls away from the Prince and snaps his lethal jaws at his hand. He stands, circling the man.

"Will I still be sweet with your blood coating my fur?"

"No, but you will look very fetching hanging on the wall of our cabin."

"Enough will your idle threats," Abdul smarts as he quickly climbs a tree. He lays across a strong branch, his curled tail hanging like a vine. "I come with startling news," he tells the Prince as he calmly cleans his paws. Korak crosses his arms.

"Well, I'm listening."

"There is a place, in the mountains," Abdul begins. Korak's eyes narrow. "No sane animal will go near this place, and those who do find themselves wandering the jungle, dazed and confused, with no memory of why." The Prince's arms unfold and he crouches down on his knuckles, brows furrowed in concentration. The tiger continues, "The air has a peculiar scent, like that of an oncoming storm, yet has the familiar tang of spilled blood."

"Have you seen this place?" Korak demands. Abdul regards him for a moment, before leaping out of the tree in a one bound. He walks near to his friend.

"I have seen it, yes. But even I would not dare go closer. Something is not right with this mysterious place, Prince." Seeing the determined look his friend's eye, Abdul adds, "Do not go, Korak." The Prince stands and looms over the tiger.

"Then why tell me this?" Korak growls, mind reeling. Abdul growls fiercely for a brief moment before calming.

"Your father is King, and such it is his duty to care for this jungle," he explains. "I fear that this place could mean doom for us all. You must tell him. You know very well that he will not listen to a blood-thirsty tiger." Korak doesn't speak, merely glaring into the distance.

"No." The Prince stands and looks to where he knows the mountains pierce the sky, though he cannot see through the thick jungle. "I will go." Abdul's eyes widen.

"Do not be a fool!" He roars. Korak ignores him and pointedly begins walking toward the mountains.

"What would be foolish," he says when Abdul follows behind him, "is to send the King into danger merely for a little research. No, I will go."

"You are his heir!"

"He has two more."

"Both of which are far too young."

"They'll grow."

"You're making excuses."

"Are you coming or not?" Korak asks, turning to look the tiger in the eye. Abdul stares at him, the tension thick.

He sighs and makes to reply, when suddenly a flock of birds burst from the trees, screeching past them with squawks of fear. Small monkeys and boars and all manner of jungle creatures are suddenly running by them, the jungle alive with the scents and sounds of fear.

"Run!" "Danger!" "Fly!" They cry. "Death is coming!"

They're running for their lives.

So taken are they with panic that they ignore both the Prince and tiger, standing still as the stampede rushes past them toward safety. Korak and Abdul climb into the trees, away from the hoard. They look to each other, no words needed to convey their thoughts. Clearly something is wrong, but what?

Something is coming. Korak can hear it. It doesn't sound like anything he's ever heard. Abdul too is looking toward the noise, nose pointed at the sky. It's getting louder. A roar like nothing Jungle Island has ever known. Korak calls like an eagle to Abdul and nods upward. The Prince and tiger quickly scale the trees to the very top, carefully balancing as they gaze at the clear open sky. Unbeknown to them, Tarzan and his family do the same. They watch as a small black spot on the horizon becomes larger. It looks like an arrow. It gets closer. It... has wings? It gets bigger. Shooting through the sky like a falling star, it leaves behind a trail of smoke and flame. It's getting closer. It appears to be black and as long as the jungle trees are tall. Stranger still, one could almost see what appeared to be a blue bubble around it. It's close.

It's headed straight for them, Korak realizes. "Abdul, we have to move. Now!" Quickly they descend. Abdul prowls and leaps from branch to branch, ever graceful. Korak grabs a vine and swings out of the way. They reach the jungle floor just as the strange new beast crashes through the trees where they had stood not moments before. The noise is deafening. The beast creaks, pops, and roars as it tears the jungle apart, flames licking at the plants and smoke filling the air. It crashes to the ground, cracking the very earth. Uprooted trees fall, dirt and branches spilling over the jungle floor. The unfortunate creatures in the beast's path wail in agony as they are crushed and burned. Those lucky enough to escape scream in fear and cry for their fallen friends. It crashes on and on, leaving a deep trench behind it until finally it hits one of the jungle's widest, strongest trees. The tail lifts for a moment before crashing down, with one last sloow creeeaak.

At the nests, Tarzan returns from high in the trees to where his wife is huddled in their nest together with his two youngest children. Kala's eyes gaze at him in fright and confusion, but Archie's are narrowed in thought. Tarzan's eyes meet those of his startled Queen.

Koran and Abdul meet at the beginning of the trail of destruction and their eyes follow it to the burning, crackling crash in the distance.

The moment they lay their eyes upon the beast, it explodes.

* * *

**END CHAPTER 4: Another Day in the Jungle**

Some believe the mineralized horn of a rhinoceros can cure certain illnesses and improve physical attributes such as sexual stamina. They're endangered because of hunting, naturally. (-_-)

Does anyone reading this know who Meriem really is in the original Tarzan story? Not an elephant, that's for sure. What about Terkoz? Surely someone remembers him.

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	5. This Is It

**Warnings**: tragedy, a survivor is born

**Chapter 5: This Is It**

* * *

They leave at midnight. The Order monitors airspace very closely and would have turned the ship to ash had it been discovered. Luckily the old fools were too busy with their lavish parties to notice one of their very own stealth ships take off into the night.

This is it! This is her chance to finally make a difference! She's heading to Tokyo, to a secret underground facility where world news is being broadcast. Truth In Tokyo is the only television station in the world to air the truth about The Order. No one knows how they've managed to get past the powerful organization's airtight grip on the media, and thus they are constantly being sought after by its best operatives and any assassin they can find.

"Too late," she chimes as she watches the sun rise on the ocean horizon.

She couldn't believe it. Of all the people TNT could have chosen, it was her! They never accepted inexperienced broadcasters, and she'd never broadcast anything outside of school projects! She will not sell herself short however; she's done good work- work that could have made her a target for The Order, but what need have they to fear her? She's a lowly peasant, they all are. She has no connections, no money, and no power.

But she could change all that. She finally has a chance to do something important, something that will save her family! There will be an uprising, she can feel it. Even now there are whispers in the dark of a resistance. The Order believes they have destroyed the people- that they are too weak to struggle, to fight back.

She gazes out over the shimmering deep, eyes piercing into a fathomless sea. She thinks back to her home where her family wait, pale with sickness and worry for her. No. She cannot, WILL not accept it. To accept this life would be death. She would rather die fighting than like a dog in the streets.

She looks toward her passengers. There are twenty people on-board, some of the healthiest-looking men and women she'd ever seen. She too had been blessed with the strength to fight the raging sickness that plagues the Earth. These are to be her coworkers, her friends, and together they will give hope to the people and birth to The Resistance.

In the blink of an eye the ship jolts and veers sharply to the right with a deafening** BOOM!** _"Aaaeh!"_ She yelps when her head smacks into the window. There's only darkness for a few moments. "Wha..." she groans. She tries to sit up. Her eyes are closed, she realizes, and opens them. Her vision swims so much that she worries she might heave. There are dark blobs all around her. People, she realizes, her new friends. They're everywhere, running about the plane with a fervor that she rarely sees. Why are they running? Are her ears ringing? She can't hear anything. She looks out the window. Where once was a calm, solid blue is now a gray and raging sea. The black clouds above are swirling around them, whipping the plane off course. She gasps quietly when a bolt of lightning strikes outside of her window. She groans, head pounding. The ringing is so loud, yet she can almost hear voices. Slowly the voices get louder as the flashing colors and distorted pictures slowly come into focus.

".._...lease stay calm and remain in your seat. There is safety equipment located in the compartment below your seat. Please stay calm and remain in your seat. There is safety equipment located in th..._."

"Oh my God!"

"It's on fire! The tail is on fire!"

"Please no, please please please..."

"I can't! I can't die like this! PLEASE, GOD, SOMEONE HELP US!"

"We're falling! Oh my God, the ship is falling!"

"AAAAHHHH!"

For a moment, she does nothing. What's going on? This... No, it's not..! Wait. The ship! The ship has a shield, there's no way it could- She looks out the window.

Shit.

"Okay," she whispers to herself and stands. She has to jump. "You packed for this," she tries to assure herself. "Stay calm," she mutters and reaches above her to open the storage area. "Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, stay- _AH!_" She shrieks when the ship is tossed again. She flies to the opposite side of the seating area, lucky to land on the soft cushions while her bags fly into the wall. After a moment of wide-eyed shock, she braces herself. "Okay, you're okay. Just breathe and," she takes a shaky breath and stands. Though the ship's diving throws off her movement, she makes her way as fast as she can to her backpack. "Calm!" she shouts and lunges for it. She wraps a hand around one strap and the ship jerks. She flies back toward the entrance. Should she hit the wall this time, she might not get back up. She closes her eyes. Impact. She grunts when, instead of a hard wall, her backpack pushes into her stomach and knocks the wind from her lungs, forcing her eyes open. The ship levels and she falls to the floor gasping for air.

People are running all around her. A few are still in their seats, holding on for dear life and donned in safety suits. One man, mad with fear, steps on her arm and she screams. He doesn't stop and runs toward the back of the plane. Wait, she wants to tell him, it's gone, it's on fire! She can't breathe. He disappears from her view. She sucks in air and shakily stands as she chokes, though it pains her. She has to do this.

There's a door near the front of the plane. She'd always been paranoid of flying and had read up on this exact ship before taking off.

Lucky me, she thinks, and drags her backpack behind her through the front door. Besides the seating area she'd been in there are four accessible parts of the ship: The storage room, another seating room (both are behind her), the employee area, and the piloting station. That's where she's headed. She steps into the employee area. There is food here, along with other miscellaneous tools. She grabs a few bags of chips and bottles of water and quickly shoves them into the side pouch on her pack. She turns around to take a last look at the other passengers. Those in their seats stare blankly in front of them, good as dead already. The others run around blindly, screaming their woes and begging for reprieve. The man that had stepped on her suddenly bursts from the back door, flames erupting behind him. He runs straight for her, fire in his hair and on his clothes and in his eyes. She screams and slams the door. He's crazy, she tells herself. He's panicking. You cannot.

She begins again toward the cockpit, the ship rocking with every step. She has to hurry. She can't see outside but she doesn't need to see to know that they are far too close to the ground now. The ship jerks and she slams into a gleaming counter stove with a cry, the sharp end of a knife biting into her skin. She doesn't have time to stop, she knows that, so she ignores the pain and pushes on even when blood streams down her arm. She's just made it to the door when the ship rocks violently. Pots, pans, and all manner of items clink and clank as they're tossed around the room. She pulls at the door, but it's locked.

"No," she whimpers and lays her head against the door. "No," she whispers. She turns and leans against it, sliding down to collapse on the floor. "No, _no!_" She screams and kicks the nearest object. That's the only door where she'll be able to make a safe jump. And God, she can't believe she'd even planned on doing that, not that it matters now. She's going to die. Because she couldn't find her keys. She curls, wrapping her arms around her bent knees and rests her head on them. She was a fool. All those hopes and dreams... gone, just like that. Probably wouldn't have amounted to much anyway. There is no hope. Let the darkness come.

_Zip. Clink._ "Ah!" She cries out when something hard smacks the side of her face. Clearly metal judging by how much it hurt! She rubs at her jaw and picks up the item. A slow smile dawns on her face. She almost doesn't believe it. Keys. They're keys! Quickly she leaps up and unlocks the door, growling at her fumbling fingers. Once finally open she grabs her backpack and rushes inside. The wind is whipping all around her, trying to pull her out of the already opened door. The pilots are gone, as are the emergency parachutes. She holds onto the door handle to anchor herself and digs in her backpack. "Come on, backpack, work your magic... Aha!" She grins in relief when she pulls out her own emergency parachute. And people called her paranoid. She puts the parachute pack on her back, picks up her own trusty backpack and places it on her front. She walks slowly up to the door, grabbing random objects to anchor herself until she's at the opening. There's an island. A large, lush green island! But that's not possible. There are no such places on Earth, not for-

"YOU!"

She turns with a startled squeal toward the voice and her churning stomach drops. It's him, the man with the wildfire eyes.

"Give me that parachute!" He yells over the swirling winds. She says nothing, merely stares at him, her mind at work. He would kill her for the parachute- it's basic human nature. Eat, or be eaten. Kill, or be killed. So with no other choice and no time to spare, she turns and leaps from the ship. _"NO!"_ He screams. He rushes forward to try to grab her, but it's too late. She's falling. She wants to close her eyes. Instead she watches the trees rush up to greet her. She opens her mouth to scream, but there is naught but deafening crack of the ship crashing into the island. She reaches behind her and scrambles for a lever. Panicked, she doesn't remember how to use the blasted thing. Lever, lever, where is the lev- Oh! Okay. She remembers the passage saying that there was a certain distance you'd want to open the chute. She doesn't care, she's opening it now. She yanks on the lever and mercifully the parachute opens. She thanks God in every way she knows how as she slowly falls into the jungle.

She's still a little ways above the trees when it happens. A noise like thunder booms from beneath the island's green. Sparks and flame fly and smoke billows up into the sky. An explosion. She looks toward where the sun has fully emerged and fills the sky. When she hits the trees, the darkness comes.

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**END CHAPTER 5: This Is It**

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